Former Formula 3 driver Zdenek Chovanec has died at the age of 21.
He passed away on July 18 in Trofa, Portugal, with the announcement made on July 23. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
Born in Venezuela in 2004 to Czech heritage, Chovanec grew up in Portugal. He was considered one of the country's most promising young racing talents.
Tributes from the Motorsport Community
The official FIA Formula 3 Championship expressed deep sorrow over his sudden passing.
"Everyone at FIA Formula 3 is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Zdeněk Chovanec, who competed in the Championship in 2021 and 2022," the statement read.
The series organizers offered support to those close to him.
"Our thoughts are with Zdeněk's family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him," they added.
The FIA also issued an official statement honoring the driver.
"The FIA is deeply saddened by the passing of Zdeněk Chovanec, who competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship back in 2021-2022," the federation said.
Motorsport journalist Craig Woollard shared his grief on social media. "Such tragic news.
I remember covering Zdenek's racing back in 2020 and 2021, including when he arrived in F3. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
It is far too young for someone to pass," Woollard wrote.
Fans also shared condolences online, with one posting, "Very sad news. Condolences to his family and friends.
RIP young man."
Racing Career
Chovanec began competitive karting in Portugal in 2018. He moved to single-seater racing in 2020 through the UAE Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 championships.
He later progressed to the Euroformula Open Championship, regularly finishing in point-scoring positions.
In 2021 and 2022, he competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship on the Formula 1 support ladder with Czech team Charouz Racing System.
His best race result was 20th at Zandvoort and Sochi in 2021, but he did not score championship points.
He transitioned to endurance racing in 2023, though he withdrew from a planned full-season entry in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Mercedes-AMG after pre-season testing.
His final competitive appearance was in September 2023 at Estoril in the Ultimate Cup Series LMP3 class for TS Corse.
After stepping away from racing in late 2024 due to personal issues, he last participated in an ARCA Menards Series pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway with Fast Track Racing in January 2025.
